Game 29 (PDX - New Orleans): LHP LeBlanc v. LHP Bostick; 7:05 pm

Beavers lefty Wade LeBlanc is looking for that nice start this evening, after being clobbered in his last two outings. The Zephyrs aren't running out a particularly imposing lineup tonight, so hopefully Wade can get himself back on track.

Adam Bostick returns to the PGE mound as a starter, after pitching 2/3 of an inning of relief in Friday's 6-4 Beavers win. Bostick struck out both batters he retired in the 8th inning. It'll be interesting to see how he approaches starting tonight -- he's had solid if unspectacular results to this point, meeting the Quality Start criteria (6 IP, 3 ER or fewer) in 3 of his 6 starts in 2008.

The Beavers outlasted the Zephyrs tonight, winning 5-4 in the 12th inning on RF Jody Gerut's single -- slapped back up the middle, plating Craig Stansberry (who'd led the inning off with a BB). New Orleans RP Ivan Maldonado took the loss, while Beavers RP Josh Banks picked up the win.

Gerut was 2-7 on the night with a run scored in the 1st & one RBI. Both hits were singles. Perhaps just as important as the game-winning hit, however, was Jody's spectacular diving catch in the RC gap for the second out of the 9th. He robbed Zephyrs 1B Valentino Pascucci's sinking line drive with a full-extension lay-out. It was an absolute thing of beauty.

On top of that, Gerut made a terrific throw way back in the top of the 1st inning on a sacrifice fly by Pascucci. 2B Anderson Hernandez tagged up on a fly ball down the line that got about midway between 1B & the RF foul pole before Gerut made the catch. He followed that up with a strike -- a one-hopper right on the money to C Nick Hundley. Unfortunately, Hundley felt rushed to get the tag down, and turned to his left to apply the tag before he secured the ball, allowing Hernandez to score. The throw could not have been more perfect, and Gerut would have been hard pressed to play a better all-around game than he did tonight.

Beavers SP Wade LeBlanc was able to settle in after the Zephyrs were able to get to him for 2 ER in the top of the 1st. Wade was perfect in innings 2-5, save a HBP on a breaking pitch on which he just lost the handle (beaning RF Jesus Feliciano atop his helmet). In those 4 innings, he mixed in 4 artful strikeouts, and each inning was 3-up/3-down (thanks to a CS of Feliciano in the 3rd). The Zephyrs nabbed 2 more runs off LeBlanc in the 6th on a 2-run HR by Pascucci. LeBlanc finished with 6 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB & 5 K. Not his sharpest outing, but in the middle of his performance, fans were treated to Wade's excellent control & command of his fastball and offspeed stuff. His changeup(s) made more than one New Orleans hitter swing almost a full second early -- the definition of making a hitter look foolish.

--A comfy 71 degrees at first pitch, it was just a wonderful night for baseball
--2B Matt Antonelli finished 2-6 with a BB & two singles, along with solid defense
--LF Chase Headley was 2-5 (both singles), and did a nice job in left as the Zephyrs kept him busy
--1B Brian Myrow showcased his offensive prowess, going 2-3 with a single, 2B, 3 BB, and an RBI. That'd be an OBP of .833 on the evening!
--SS Craig Stansberry was 2-4 with a HR, 2B, one BB, & an RBI. In the bottom of the 10th, he socked a Carlos Muniz pitch to deep LC, nearly ending the ballgame. Instead, LF Chris Aguila made the catch with his back up against the wall, right under the Miller Lite pitch velocity sign.
--PH Edgar Gonzalez batted for LeBlanc in the bottom of the 6th, sending the first pitch he saw from Zephyrs SP Adam Bostick screaming over the LF wall for a HR.